Spectral characteristics of the galactic gamma radiation observed by COS-B.
Bignami, G. F.; Hermsen, W.; Bennett, K.; Buccheri, R.; Kanbach, G.; Mayer-Hasselwander, H. A.; Paul, J. A.; Scarsi, L.; Swanenburg, B. N.; Wills, R. D.; Caraveo, P.
France, Netherlands, Italy, Germany
Abstract
The ESA satellite COS-B has measured the high-energy gamma-ray emission from several regions of the galactic disk. The energy spectra of this emission have been measured. The energy spectra of the gamma radiation in the range from 50 MeV to a few GeV derived from six different longitude intervals have essentially the same shape, which resembles neither a pure neutral-pion nor a power-law form. These results are discussed in the light of the recent discovery by COS-B of several point sources along the galactic disk.